Sony Z1 and FX1 various questions 2004 - 2005

[John Jay]

Thank you Kaku

Its rewarding to know my S16 notebook will capture a HDV stream soon.

[Karel Bata]

If I buy an HDR or (more likely) HVR camera, then editing is going to become very demanding, and I know I'll need to upgrade. But to what?

I'm sure I'm not the only one here in this position.

I'll need a new motherboard - the old Abit BL7 with DIMM memory will have to go. But will I also need a new graphics card? Or just a separate video capture card? Or will a firewire port do the job of capturing?

In my current machine I have a 2.4 Gig Pentium4, a Matrox P750 running two SVGA and one PAL monitor, three WD Caviar Hard Drives - two running in RAID 0, and various peripherals. I don't video capture (yet) since that's brought in on DVD.

I use Premiere 1.5, and am starting to toy with Vegas. What else will I have to buy? Cineform? And....?

Many thanks

Karel


(BTW I've done a search, but didn't find anything in the rest of the HDR forum with PC in the title - and the demands of HDR are higher than, say, DVCAM so there's no point in looking in there. Anyway this kind of info changes so fast that it's worth hearing any recent points of view)

[Karel Bata]

Just read this interesting thread PC requirements for editing? here in DVi.

So maybe I don't need to worry too much? Just upgrade my motherboard and RAM for now? (But to what?)

It seems that one way of working is by using something called proxy files (a bit like offline editing?). If I understand it correctly, I'd create low-res copies and edit with those, then when I'm finished replace these with the original hi-res files, and render from there.

And this file substitution is all automated?

Can anyone able to tell me more about how to do this in Premiere?

[Josh Martin]

hey guys,
downloaded some m2t files and wanted to look at them on my TV. How do I convert these m2t files to a format that I can burn a DVD with? I use FCP HD and IDVD. If these two can't do it, tell me how I can. I won't be viewing them on a HD TV, just SD TV, but I want to see what it looks like compared to the XL2. Thanks,
Josh

[Rob Lohman]

Have you tried importing the m2t files into FCP? You might need
to rename them to MPG. If that doesn't work I'm not sure what
could read those files on a Mac. Sorry.

[Troy Lamont]

Can be found here and here

Troy

[Robert Mann Z.]

you may need a canopus login to see this but i thought some might find it interesting

http://forum.canopus.com/showflat.ph...&Number=222400

[Zack Birlew]

Hey, I know this probably isn't too important, but I just needed to express my feelings when I saw the FX-1 for the first time.

Ok, last night I went out on the town with my parents who are visiting. My brother and I decided to take them to see the newly added Forum Shops section of Ceasar's Palace and what do I see they've added? A Sony Style store. YES!!!! So I go in and look at their camera section and I of course see the VX2100, but no PD170's in sight (they never have those at the stores =P why?) and sitting right next to it is this BEAST of a camera! I look at it and realize immediately that it is, of course, the FX-1. Holy shite it's a BIG camera! I couldn't believe that it is like twice the size of the VX2100 (which I thought was a pretty big camera to begin with, really long). But this is good for me because I've got big hands and I've never liked those teeny-tiny little buttons on cameras nowadays anyway. But for everybody else, this is a WHOPPER of a camera, especially for one that is supposed to be "handheld." But, of course, the Sony sales guy was too busy helping people with some little $150 Cybershot camera and the dude looking at the $3k videocamera wasn't as important =P. So I have no idea how this camera's footage looks first hand, but I can always make another visit. Can't wait to see the HVR-Z1 when it comes out, I wonder, will it be bigger?

[Boyd Ostroff]

<<<-- Originally posted by Jack Felis : So I go in and look at their camera section and I of course see the VX2100, but no PD170's in sight (they never have those at the stores =P why?) -->>>

The PD-170 and PDX-10 are part of Sony's broadcast/professional line while the VX-2100 and FX-1 are from the Consumer division. The website for the pro cameras is here.

[Jos Svendsen]

Just gotten a FX1 for review for 24 hours before Sony needs it back. These are my notes in no particular order - hope that they are of some help.

Out of the box.

No sw what so ever in the box.

Found a Cleaning tape?! in the box – nice but a HDV certified tape might be a better idea.

Special component out cable


First use: .

Keeps fumbling for the LCD-screen on left side of the camera – bur LCD is very very clear and bright.

There is a control for switching between zoom- ring and the normal zoom rockers. Not instinctive.

Feel is very PD-170-ish. No - strike that, more like the DV300 that JVC never could make

Set up – well we got skin tone, details, color, ae-shift, but no knee, color-matrix or gamma-controls. Xl2 and DVX100 wins hands down in picture control.

Picture has normal cold Sony-look. PD-170'ish

Audio – very hidden control, needs external solution for any serious audio work.

Not as sensitive as Xl2 ( or PD170)

Nice ND-filters

Snappy autofocus.

Can have peaking or Zebra, but not both at the same time.

Some new controls – 3 levels of steadyshot, white balance sentivity. Cinegamma (one level only)

Nice wheel for menu selections.

Important - Can downsample HDV to DV on playback, so always shoot HDV. Use camera to downsampe and edit in DV. When HDV software is ready – just capture again.

Can mix HDV and DV shots on tape

No headphone level control.


Closer look.

The picture presets and shot transitions are very nice. A programmers camera. No memorystick to save settings on – bummer!

Nice wide lens. Slight flare in contrast situations.

Shot transitions are really nice – duration 2 sec to 15 sec, so no instant Kurosava here.

Nice balance and handling.

Not too good for impressing chicks – XL2 far better.

FANTASTIC picture on a HD monitor using component out. WOW! interlaced artifacts seems less intrusive than SD. Many many details. Have to be much more focused on getting everything right. Just like 16 mm.

First conclusion

Due to the limited amount of picture control it is not an obvious choice for filmmakers. XL2 has less noise and a more 3D-ish look and far better picture controls. But if you want fast, fantastic detailed pictures – go for FX1. Good camera for the fast productions with limited setup time. For those with specific looks on their mind a XL2 might be better.
But this is a classic just like VX1000, and it might be just as revolutionary as this.

[Kaku Ito]

If anyone coming to InterBEE in Tokyo, please feel free to stop by and say hello to me at HONJO booth. I'm asked to demonstrate their Reflecmedia, so we are taking our Final Cut Pro HD with PowerBook G4 17inch, Sony HDR-FX1 and Lumiere HD to show hot it works.

[Jeff Patnaude]

Took a long lunch break today from work and went down to seee the new FX-1 at Showcase Photo in ATlanta.
BEEFY!
Very slick, nice button config's. Didn't have time to do a shoot-out comparison between all the cameras hey have. Fondled the DVX-100A, XL2, JVC HD cam, and the Sony FX-1. If size matters (dont go there), the Sony is impressive in that aspect alone. It will go on rental soon I'm told. I might have to cough up the rental rate to see what can be done in the field with this thing. Reports I hear from users here are exciting.

http://www.showcaseinc.com/site/

Jeff Patnaude

[Daniel Broadway]

Is the XL2 avaliable for rental from Showcase?

[Chris Hurd]

Brush up on your French with some light reading: FX1 review by Michel Rempenaux and Sébastien Gaillard:

http://www.repaire.net/site/tournage/hdv_sony/

[Gareth Watkins]

Hi Chris

Yes an excellent site and vibrant forum... for those who read French.

also some really neat tutorials for Premiere Pro animated in WMV.

The hands on review gives good feedback on the new camera..

Regards

Gareth